Construct validity of a figure rating scale for Brazilian adolescents

Abstract

BackgroundFigure rating scales were developed as a tool to determine body dissatisfaction in women, men, and children. However, it lacks in the literature the validation of the scale for body silhouettes previously adapted. We aimed to obtain evidence for construct validity of a figure rating scale for Brazilian adolescents.MethodsThe study was carried out with adolescent students attending three public schools in an urban region of the municipality of Florianopolis in the State of Santa Catarina (SC). The sample comprised 232 10-19-year-old students, 106 of whom are boys and 126 girls, from the 5th "series" (i.e. year) of Primary School to the 3rd year of Secondary School. Data-gathering involved the application of an instrument containing 8 body figure drawings representing a range of children's and adolescents' body shapes, ranging from very slim (contour 1) to obese (contour 8). Weights and heights were also collected, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated later. BMI was analyzed as a continuous variable, using z-scores, and as a dichotomous categorical variable, representing a diagnosis of nutritional status (normal and overweight including obesity).ResultsResults showed that both males and females with larger BMI z-scores chose larger body contours. Girls with higher BMI z-scores also show higher values of body image dissatisfaction.ConclusionWe provided the first evidence of validity for a figure rating scale for Brazilian adolescents.

Mother–Daughter Relationship Quality and Body Image in Preadolescent Girls

“…However, we chose to maintain their inclusion given their widespread and recent use with diverse populations (e.g., see Adami et al 2012;Mirza et al 2011), and our finding of a similar pattern of results across all three daughter body image measures in the current study. However, future research should strongly consider including additional measures of body image distortion.…”

Healthy lifestyles and body mass index as correlates of body image dissatisfaction in primary schoolchildren

“…Body image dissatisfaction was the difference between the current body image and desired body image: a higher score on current body image represents a perception of being heavy, while a lower score on current body image represents a perception of being thin. The validity of Stunkard's figure rating scales in Portuguese populations has been demonstrated in a variety of samples (e.g., Adami et al, 2012;Scagliusi et al, 2006).…”

Estudo de validação e fidedignidade de escalas de silhuetas brasileiras em adolescentes

“…Note que, embora os valores de correlação encontrados no presente estudo sejam similares aos reportados por Adami et al (2012) e Conti e Latorre (2009) no que se refere à validade de construto, tanto as escalas de Childress et al (1993) quanto as de Thompson e Gray (1995) apresentam limitações importantes: número restrito de figuras, inconstância no incremento entre cada uma das silhuetas e incapacidade de mensuração do componente perceptual da imagem corporal (Gardner et al, 1998). Além disso, nenhuma delas foi desenvolvida com base no biotipo da população brasileira, o que pode acarretar críticas importantes ao seu uso já que em estudos sobre imagem corporal é essencial que se escolha instrumentos apropriados para a população alvo, levando em conta a idade, o sexo e aspectos culturais dos participantes que serão estudados (Cash, 2011;Thompson, 2004).…”

“…A diferença entre essas escolhas é tida como indicativa de algum grau de insatisfação (ex. Adami et al, 2012;Gardner, Jappe, & Gardner, 2009;Gardner, Stark, Jackson, & Friedman, 1999;Kakeshita, 2008;Stunkard, Sørensen, & Schulsinger, 1983;Thompson & Gray, 1995).…”